Railroad-crossing



C. CLARK.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED APII. I9, 1919.

1,340,7' 50. Patented May 18,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrrED srarns TPR-BENT QFFIQE,

CLAIBORN CLARK, 0F LOS ANGELES., CALIFORNIA.

RAILROADeCROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented May is, 1920.

Application mea Aprn 1e, 1919. serial No. 291,275.-

crossings which comprise turn-tables thaty are operated by the 'wheels of the car that is approaching the crossing.y i

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that is not dependent upon any particular size of wheel flange for its proper operation and which will not be damaged by too great a movement caused by the exceptionally large wheel langef The invention provides a crossing that will a1- ways be operated accurately by either a small or a large wheel iiange. Further objects of the invention and the details of the construction of a preferred form of the in vention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description, in which reference i's had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a single track intersection with the cover plates removed in order to show the mechanism; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section taken as indi-l cated by line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken as indicated by line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail section taken as indicated by line .4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken as indicated by line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig.k 6 is an enlarged detail section taken as indicated by line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a'view similar to Fig. 6, showing the position of the parts when the mechanism has `been operated; Fig. 8 is an. enlarged section taken as indicated by line 8 8 of Fig. 1;.Fig.. 9 is a plan view 'of a portion of the crossing with the turn-tables 10 rotated 90o from thepositon *j shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 10 shows ablock that may be substituted kfor the turn-table.

In thedrawings numeral 1() designates turn-tables which are mounted in base plates 11. There is abase plate, and a turn-table, at each rail intersection; and in the'crossing about to be described there are four .rail intersections. The invention, as shown and described is applied.. te a .Single track right 1angle crossing but it will be understood however, that the invention is not Alimited to this particular form of crossings but may be applied to crossings in which thefrail intersections are at any angle. lThe turntables 10, which are best shown in Fig. ,2,

' are circular disks mounted in seats 12 in the'base plates 11. 'In the top of each turntable there is a groove 13 which extends diae5 metrically yacress the turn-table. Across the top of the baselplates 11 there are grooves 14 and 14a. Rail sections 15 Vand 16 which are bolted to flanges 17 that project from base-`platesy 11' have grooves 18 in 70 them. The grooves 13, 14, 14a and 18 are [so shaped as to allow wheel iianges to eX- tend into them and they are suiciently deep to receive they ianges and notallow themto run on the bottom of the grooves.. The

rail sections 15 and 16 are fastened to base plates 11 in such a manner as to cause the grooves 14 and 18'and grooves 14at and 18a to come in alinement. The turn-tables 10 are rotatable in the seats 12 thereby making 80 it possibleto turn the tables in such a man ner as to cause grooves 13 infblocks 10 to come in alinement with the grooves 14 or 14a. The turntables 10 are all inter-cony` nected as hereinafter described, so as to cause them to operate together and to keep grooves 18 parallel. The turn-tables 10, as shown *in Fig. 1 are in a position in which grooves 13 are in alinement withV groove 14 which would allow a car to pass over the crossing either' from A or from B,.and the car wheels will pass over the crossing without jarring' or bumping, as the wheels have a smooth surface over which to run.l In rorderto allow a car to pass over the crossing either is caused by the iianges of the wheels, which are about to pass over the crossing, striking Vlevers Whichoperate the mechanism about to be described. g

Operating rods 19 which are pivotally connected at 19a to lever Yarms 2O extend 105 .into slots 21 in turnftables 10 and are pivotally connected to the turn-tables at 19b by means of pins 22.` The lever arms 2O `which are pivotally connected at 20a to push rods 28 are pivotally mounted at 2Ob on brackets 110 24. The brackets 24 are mounted at r 25 on` base plates 11. The push rods 23l pass;

feo

y through openings 23? yiii rail sections and t. arey kpivotally kConnected kat 27k to klever,k arms 26. The lever yarms 26are pivotallyk Y rods 29 which are pivotally connected' at mounted on bracketsf'28 whichy extend from` rail sections 16; and' pivotally *con-y f shafts 33 extend transversely between' the g rai-.l sectionsv 15 and have blocksy 35 keyed to them at each end byk m'eans'ot' pins 36.2y

Bolted to theinner sides of rail sections are plates 37 which have pins 38 on them. The pins 38 extend inwardly'andy engage slotted sockets 39 in blocksy 35. The pins 38 are of the shape shown 1in Figs. 6y and 7.'

- They have round 'surfaces'40 and :flattened surfaces 41.y The sockets 39 in blocks 35ers shaped as shoWnin Figs. 6 and 7, there be ing a! circular portion y42 in Whichthe pins 38 fit, and afeireular curved slotted portion y 43,111 which the pinsy 38 may slide vwhen *nectedk at 47`tok operating leversv 48.'

operatingy levers 48, pivotally mounted at 49 to raily members 15, extend, into the grooves y18 of the rail members, the flanges 181 beingy cut away, as shown iny Fig. 3. The operanrk ing ylevers' 48 in sections Gand kD in k14`ig j1` are in the `11p-position as shown 'in Fig. 3,

While the operatingarms in sectionsA and B are in the down position, -vthe mechanism having v"been operated so as to ycause the grooves 13 and 14 to bein alinement. c 4 Wheel flanges engaging. operating levers 48 at section C or 'D Will'cause doivnivardr shaft 33 Will cause movementof lever arms 31 inthe direction shown by the:arrovv in Fig The movement Willy then be trans?V initted to turn-tables 10 throughtlie System of" pushV krods and levers, hereinbefore kdescribed, the rods andlevers moving., in the directions indicated by the arrows inFig. 1

f l to the position shown inFig. 9.* The turn- 95C thereby causing grooves 137to comeinto ,t

` alfinement with groovesj141Whichwvill per;y r i y nisin, ,t an, operating meaiis,ify a1 connecting tables 10 yvvillloe moved through' an angle of y'mit anar to pass overfthe crossing yeither yfrom rsection. C or from ysection D. "The 'downward movement of levers '45 will Vcause f y shattf33y to rotateon pins 38 just enough to cause the rotationr` of turn-tables the desired amount. When shaft 33 has been rotated The i showninFigi.10.^xi,7.VK Having described alpreferrediorm of my i slid overfpinsv y38. The blocks 35 and the shaft 33Will then swing around the pivoted connection 30 insteadlof rotating; t The slots l43 of sockets 39 are curved 'around the ycenter.

- of connection 30'. "In ordertorprevent over travel: of the'turn-tables due to sudden opff eration or forV anyother reason, brackets 56 are mounted over lever arms The surfaces57 and'58 form stops for! the arms 19. y` The brackets r56-also,y holdk the ylever .arms 19 against the surfaces 11a ofthebasi-iy f "plates 11 and therebyhold the turn-,tables in the base plates. y

'- Springs 50 arefarranged'underv the operating arms 48 so as to tend at all times to keep the rarms up. Y Due'to the :fact that there is a spring under each arm the springs equalize or balance each other and therefore do not tend to cause operation 'of the mecha-y nism. The springsarevmerely toassist the (mechanism in returning 'from a depressed, yposition and kto keep .thek mechanism tight'. f

levers ,48'y 'will theiilcausegblocks 35,1`to be 'y The ineclianismgrwhich isallbelon7 thexlevel i block 35 is inthe relativey position shown in fof they tracks, is covered' by meansy oicover Fig. 7. The blocks 35 have short leyerarms'y f 44l which are piyotally connected vat 45 to connecting krods 46 which are pivotally con kplates r51 which rrest onflugsr52 on rail sec# tions andy 16", the cover plates having been removed fin; Fig. 1 in orderto clearly t y showthe mechanism. The lever `arms 2O arel .f

interconnected by means of connecting rods 53,54 and 55, yas shown yin yl3`ig.'.r1l This connection of lever arms 2O causes operationk is such as to cause the ,operating leversy 48 at Aandi-Bfto Yberaised when the levers atk C and D are depressed and alsofto causethe levers at C and DIto be"y raised when the levers at AandB are depressed. i Thepush rods 29y arefproyided with turn-buckles 29 t ythereby providing a means byvvhieh ad-y justment may be made in the mechanism.

'Theconstruction and mounting yof. they turn-tables' is very simpleand permits easy ordinary form of crossing this could be done by disconnecting and removing thefshockless turn-table and fasteningin the seat af block having tivo intersecting grooves as invention, *I claim:

- A tiene finissants @i iiileiiiriiae described, embodying an y intersectionlin'echa#y mechanism between the intersection mecha.

nism and the operating means and 'positive mechanicaljnieansin ysaid y'connecting' mechayof the intersection mechanism. f Y

l A.,VK track intersection. rof thel,thereet.l"r

y described, embodying a mechanical inter- CII section mechanism, a mechanical operating means for said intersection mechanism, a wholly mechanical connecting mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means and positive mechanical means in said connecting mechanism to allow the operating means to overtravel without causing the intersection mechanism to overtravel.

3. A track intersection ot the character described, embodying a mechanical intersection mechanism, a mechanical operating means for said intersection mechanism, a mechanical connecting` mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means and mechanical means in said connecting mechanism to -allow the operating means to overtravel without causing the intersection mechanism to overtravel, said means embodying a pivot pin engaging a socket block so as to cause predetermined relative rotary motion of said pin and block.

4, A track intersection ci the character described, embodying a mechanical intersection mechanism, a mechanical operating means for said intersection mechanism, a mechanical connecting mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means and mechanical means in said connecting mechanism to allow the operating means to overtravel without causing the intersection mechanism to overtravel, said means embodying a relatively moving pivot pin and socket block.y

5, A track intersection ot the character described, embodying a mechanical intersection mechanism, a mechanical operating means vfor said intersection mechanism, a mechanical connecting mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means and mechanical means inL said connecting mechanism to allow the operatt ing means to overtravel without causing the intersection mechanism to overtravel, said means embodying a ,relatively moving pivot pin and a socket block, said socket block being movable relatively to the pin both pivotally and slidably.

6. A track intersection ot the character described, embodying a mechanical intersection mechanism, a mechanical operating means therefor, anda mechanical connecting mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means, said` last. mentioned mechanism embodying a member adapted by its rotation to transmit motion through to the intersection mechanism, a pivot pin for said member, a socket in said member engaging said pivot pin, and said pivot pin and socket being of such conguration as to allow sliding motion ot said member with relation to the pivot pin after a predetermined amount of rotation.

7. A track intersection of the character section mechanism, a pivot pin engagingA said socket block, the socket in said block embodying a circular portion adaptedfto t around the pin and provide a bearing whereon the socket block and its connected lever may swing upon the pin as a pivot, and said pin being flattened and said socket having a slotted portion in a curvature centered upon the center of connection of said connection rod with said lever arm, so that when said socket block has rotated through a predetermined angle to a position where said slotted socket portion is in line with the iiattened faces of the pin then the socket block may slide upon the pin and the socket block and its lever swing about said connect- 'ingrod connection as a center.

8. A track intersection of the character described, embodying a mechanical intersection mechanism, stop means to positively limit the movement of the intersection mechanism at both ends of its movement, a mechanical operating means for said intersection mechanism, a whollyy mechanical connecting mechanism between the intersection mechanism and the operating means and positive mechanical means in said conn with` said lever arm being pivotally conto a position Where Said Slotted socket block may slide upon the pin and the socket block and its lever swing about said connecting rod connection vas a center.

Vl0. In a track intersection mechanism,y a socket block having a circular portion adapted to lit around a flattened pin and provide a bearing Whereon the socket block may swing upon the pin as a pivot,y and a slotted portion adapted to receive the vpin when the block is rotated `toV aV predetermined position, so that the socket block may Slide on the pin.

11.7In combination in an intersecting lnechanisni aV stationary flattened pin7 and a movable Vsocket block adapted to coperate With the pin, the socket blockhaving a cirl cular portion adapted to fit around the pin and provide a bearing Whereon the socket block may swing as a pivot, and a slotted portion adapted to receive the vpin when the block i's rotated to apre-determined position7 so that the socket'blockmay slide on the pin. c

In Witness that I claim ther foregoing I have'hereunto subscribed my naine this 14th ,day of'April, 1919.` c

- CLAIBORN CLARK Witness c f c VIRGINIA BERINGER, 

